by Chris Harris
From Shakespearean actors to rock stars, politicians and television celebrities, the green room has witnessed centuries of gossip, nerves, outrageous behaviour and bruised egos. But where did its curious name originate? Have a quick peak at the fascinating history of this backstage sanctuary, where glamour and human vulnerability meet behind closed doors.
The Green Room: Where Stars Relax, Gossip and Occasionally Behave Very Badly
There is something mysterious about the green room. It conjures up images of famous actors sipping champagne, rock stars behaving outrageously, comedians rehearsing jokes and television celebrities exchanging gossip. But what exactly is a green room, and why has this backstage institution acquired such an extraordinary reputation?
From Shakespeare to the Green Room
Nobody knows for certain where the name originated. One theory suggests theatrical waiting rooms were traditionally painted green because the colour was considered restful. Another points to green baize, a heavy fabric sometimes used backstage. Maybe it is the prevalent green on the bunches of flowers. Perhaps the name survives simply because nobody has thought of anything better.
We do know the expression dates back more than 300 years. In 1678, playwright Thomas Shadwell referred to a green room in his comedy A True Widow. Earlier, Samuel Pepys recorded visiting theatrical dressing rooms, encountering the actress Nell Gwyn in 1667, who subsequently became Charles II’s mistress. He also mentioned a green room at Whitehall Palace in 1666, although that was a royal waiting room. In Shakespeare’s day, actors prepared in tiring houses, but the green room eventually evolved into a communal gathering place for performers.
It wasn’t always the democracy it is now. Some theatres maintained separate rooms according to an actor’s importance, with lesser performers expected to know their place.
Famous Faces and Backstage Secrets
Before telephones, television and social media, the green room was the social centre of theatrical life. Actors exchanged gossip, discussed forthcoming productions, heard about available parts and occasionally fell, egos exploding everywhere. The American actor William H. Crane described the green room as the centre of a theatre company’s daily activities. Actress June Squibb offered a less glamorous perspective, recalling performers sleeping there between matinee performances.
With television came a new assortment of occupants. Politicians, comedians, musicians and actors found themselves sharing waiting rooms before live broadcasts, a cabinet minister rehearsing his answers while a comedian sitting opposite considers how best to make him look ridiculous.
Rock music brought another dimension: backstage riders and extravagant demands. Van Halen famously requested bowls of M&M’s with the brown ones removed. David Lee Roth later explained that this was a way of checking whether promoters had read the band’s detailed technical instructions.
Behind the Glamour
Behind the jollity and banter though, it is the place where, behind the façade of fame and entertainment, human beings fight nerves and fear before leaving and whether it be another day in the office, a triumph or disaster, it is where, afterwards where contemplation of how the previous interview or performance is processed, glory or disaster, and perhaps for those not embraced in their thoughts a discussion about where the term the green room actually came from!
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Something About England: Amazon.co.uk: Harris, Mr Christopher, Turner, Louise: 9798181129351: Books
Welcome to Denham, a fictitious Sussex village where behind respectable doors, well-tended gardens and familiar faces, things have a habit of going badly wrong.
Obsession, ambition, deception, jealousy and petty rivalry run through this collection of tragi-comical and satirical short stories. From poltergeists and lottery winners to cricket club feuds and environmental disasters, ordinary people embark on discovering just how quickly an ordinary life can unravel into an extraordinary mess.
Darkly funny, occasionally poignant and populated by characters who are rarely quite what they seem, these stories explore the peculiarities of Middle England, and the uncomfortable territory between respectability and ruin.
